Kim Donghu was always good at sports. He had a natural talent for physical activity.

‘Yeah, I already knew that.’

And it was something that Baek Sangha, his gym coach, prided himself on knowing better than anyone. Having taught Kim Donghu for now eight years, Baek Sangha thought there was little left that could surprise him about Donghu’s abilities.

But now?

‘What is even happening right now?’

Throughout the sparring session with Kim Donghu, Baek Sangha couldn’t shake off the shock. In sports, experience is critical. No matter how well someone moves, in the end, it’s always about who you’re up against.

When there’s an opponent, variables come into play, and even if you execute a move perfectly, you may still miss your target.

That was why, despite recognizing Donghu’s talent, Baek Sangha had always said there was room for improvement.

In a real fight, with a live opponent instead of a stationary punching bag, even geniuses struggle to control the variables.

‘Was I wrong about all of that?’

Watching the sparring unfold before his eyes, Baek Sangha realized that everything he knew was being shattered.

Bam!

A punch flew like a bee, and Donghu’s footwork fluttered like a butterfly. It was reminiscent of someone he had seen in an old video—a legendary boxer.

While distracted by the graceful footwork, the next thing he knew, a punch had landed, perfectly aimed. There was no missing, no glancing blows, just pinpoint accuracy.

Thud!

Even though it was a sparring match, and Donghu wasn’t hitting with full force, Baek Sangha felt the blow reverberate through his body, deep into his core.

Huff, huff.

His breath was becoming ragged. How much time had passed?

He glanced at the clock.

‘Damn.’

He thought he had endured a hellish amount of time, but only 1 minute and 10 seconds had passed. He still had to survive another 2 minutes before this sparring session was over.

‘Was it a mistake to ask him to go all out?’

With a growing sense of regret, Baek Sangha tightened his guard. At the same time, he realized that he had already started using all of his strength.

Tap, tap.

Tap, tap.

Tap, tap.

Light jabs tapped against his gloves and abdomen. Baek Sangha knew he had taught Donghu these techniques, but he had never taught them in such a savage, refined way.

He snuck a glance at Donghu’s face, and immediately felt a pang of despair.

‘Donghu, I’m your coach, but you look way too relaxed.’

Out of politeness, he could at least pretend to be breathing hard. Yet there he was, still calm, breathing steadily.

Tap, tap.

Tap, tap, thud.

The light jabs suddenly changed direction, tapping his abdomen again, but deliberately avoiding a liver shot. It was obvious.

No one would believe it, but Baek Sangha could tell from that movement alone.

‘Donghu’s going easy on me.’

It was the first time Baek Sangha had ever experienced such a feeling in his life.

He had thought moments like this were long behind him, but here he was, realizing that one of his own students was holding back.

‘Still, Donghu, my spirit is as youthful as yours!’

Muttering some old-fashioned encouragement to himself, Baek Sangha decided to muster his strength and show what he had left.

Only about a minute remained. He was determined to show the authority of a true coach.

“Master! Don’t do it!”

Donghu’s urgent shout interrupted him.

“Huh?”

Baek Sangha looked around, but it was too late.

Thud!

Donghu’s punch landed squarely on Baek Sangha’s liver.

It was the worst possible scenario.

Donghu had been aiming for his stomach, but Baek Sangha had twisted his body to go all out, and his liver had met the full force of Donghu’s punch.

“Ugh...!”

No matter how long you’ve trained, there’s no way to strengthen your internal organs. Baek Sangha fell to his knees immediately.

“Master, are you okay?!”

Donghu, panicking, rushed to support Baek Sangha, who managed to choke out a few words with all his remaining strength.

“D-Donghu...” “Yes, yes! What do you need? Are you okay?!” “When people ask where you learned to fight… you’ll mention me, right? You’ll say I taught you, won’t you...?”

Plop.

“...”

Donghu let go of Baek Sangha with a look of exasperation.

‘What a waste of worry.’

At the same time, Donghu began reviewing the sparring session in his mind.

‘It really felt like something was downloaded.’

Just like the time he suddenly became proficient at playing the piano, this was a level of skill far beyond anything his regular training had prepared him for.

‘This is an amazing cheat code.’

Once again marveling at the power of Sims: The Real Life, Donghu checked the time and quickly grabbed his clothes.

“Master, I’m going to head out now.” “Hm? Already? Ah, right… today is the premiere of Ilshik.” “Yes, I have to watch the live broadcast.” “I have a TV here, too. How about watching it with me?” “I’ve already made plans to watch it with my friends.” “…So, after beating me up, you’re just going to run off to see your friends?”

Instead of answering, Donghu gave a polite bow and hurried out of the gym.

‘Let’s get out of here.’

He knew from experience how clingy Baek Sangha could get in situations like this.

Lately, her son’s face had brightened considerably.

From kindergarten to elementary school, her son had never been one to talk about friends.

She had worried that he might be getting bullied, but no. Even his homeroom teacher assured her there was nothing to be concerned about.

The only feedback she ever received was formalities.

-“It seems Kangshik is still a bit awkward, but he’ll be fine, ma’am. He’s improving gradually.”

That was all they ever said. Nothing about how he was actually doing.

After all, a child doesn’t need to be bullied to feel alone. Walking around without a single friend—wasn’t that just another form of isolation?

‘I must’ve taught him wrong.’

She blamed herself for her son’s social awkwardness. But ever since he entered middle school, his face had noticeably brightened.

Before, he would come home, say hello, and then sit in front of his computer. But now—

-“M-Mom, m-my friends, th-they really like th-the game notebook I made.”

With a proud smile, he began to tell her stories about school. He talked about how cool his friends were, who was doing what, and how much fun they were having.

Hearing about her son’s school life gave her a renewed sense of energy. So she asked more questions.

-“What are your friends’ names?” -“Donghu, Kim Donghu! And Minhyuk and Yerim, too.” -“Wow, you’ve got a lot of friends now, don’t you?” -“H-Hehe, I even p-played cops and robbers today.” -“Cops and robbers?”

To be honest, she had cried quietly at night.

Seeing her son fall asleep with a smile on his face for the first time, imagining how excited he must be about school every morning.

So when her son had asked—

-“M-Mom, can my friends come over to watch a drama at our place?”

She automatically responded—

-“Of course! They can even have dinner here, or stay over if they want!”

After hearing that a girl was also coming, she hesitated for a moment but quickly began planning what to make for dinner.

His friends were always the same: Kim Donghu, Kim Minhyuk, and Shin Yerim. But among them, Kim Donghu stood out the most. There was something strangely familiar about him.

‘Where have I heard that name before?’

Park Oksun, Kangshik’s mother, wasn’t too up-to-date on TV, being too busy with life. But she had been pondering this mystery right up until the day her son’s friends came over.

When she opened the door and saw Kim Donghu, she was utterly shocked.

“Hello, ma’am. I’m Kim Donghu. Thank you for letting us come over. I’ll do my best not to be a bother.”

It was that Kim Donghu.

The one the neighborhood women would gossip about—‘What kind of luck did that boy’s mother have to raise a son like that?’

Even among mothers who thought their sons were the best in the world, they still admitted, ‘But not as handsome as him.'

And whenever people praised his character, saying, ‘If only my son could be half as decent as him,’ they were referring to him.

“Are you… are you that Kim Donghu from TV?!”

“Hehe.”

Seeing her son’s proud smile, all the memories of what he had told her about Donghu rushed back.

-“Donghu listens to me till the end, even when I stutter.” -“He told me I could become someone great.” -“Mom, should I try developing video games? My friends love the notebook games I make.”

Her thoughts traveled back to the first time she had ever seen her son come home smiling.

-“Mom! Th-There’s this incredibly h-handsome kid named Donghu, and he helped me out… H-He even sat with me at lunch and ate with me!”

That was the day her son’s happy school life had begun. Unconsciously, she stepped forward.

Holding back the tears threatening to spill out, Park Oksun said the words she needed to say.

“…Thank you for being friends with my son.”

She gripped Kim Donghu’s hand tightly. It might have been awkward for him, but Donghu, Minhyuk, and Yerim all smiled brightly and replied.

“We’re really glad to have Kangshik as our friend.”

Upon hearing those words, Park Oksun quickly excused herself to the bathroom. She turned on the water and cried silently.

“…Maybe Kangshik was late to make friends because he was waiting for good ones.”

Today was truly a happy day.

By the time episode 3 of Ilshik had finished airing, MNC Drama Department Head Park Seoljae adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming with interest.

“Oh? So what’s the rating?” “…Ilshik! Episode 3 viewership is 24%! It’s showing tremendous growth!” “Excellent. Alright, everyone has worked hard. Let’s celebrate with eel for dinner. Anyone who skips out on the third round won’t be forgiven, not by me, Park Seoljae.” “Thank you! Thank you!”

It had only been three episodes, but the 24% rating was a clear sign that something big was brewing.